Chapter
Six
The title of this chapter is taken from II Corinthians 5:21:
“For
our sakes he (God the Father) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew
nothing of sin, so that in him we might become the justice (declared
righteous) of God.”
The concept of justification used in Scripture is a legal declaration by
God that a man is not guilty. We
all know of cases in criminal trials where the question of guilt wasn’t even
an issue. The accused was clearly
guilty. However, due to any number
of extenuating circumstances, the court declared the defendant “not guilty.”
This legal declaration by the court is analogous to God’s declaration
that the believer is not guilty, that he is “righteous.”
Continuing with the analogy, the believer’s extenuating circumstance is
that he has admitted his guilt and accepted another’s payment for his sins. When God looks at the believer, He sees not a creature
clothed in sin, but a child arrayed in the imputed righteousness of the Jesus of
the New Testament, the Christ. One
can be declared righteous by God only by the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary -
the most unique and singularly unselfish act of love man has ever known or ever
will know. There is no other way!
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Satan has been jealous of God since his name was Lucifer. Therefore, he mimics God, he tries to be like God.
Just as God spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden, Satan deceived Eve in
the Garden. Jesus said, “... I am
the light of the world.” [St. John 9:5] Satan
disguises himself as an angel of light [II Corinthians 11:14].
God sent His anointed One to earth, the Christ [St. John 3:16-17]. Satan will send his son, the Antichrist [Apocalypse 6:2].
The Antichrist will come on a white horse and offer a false peace
[Apocalypse 6:2], just as Jesus will come on a white horse with a peace the
world has never known [Apocalypse 19:11]. Jesus
is the lion of the tribe of Judah [Apocalypse 5:5].
Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour [I St.
Peter 5:8].
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Some deny they are sinners. Others
believe they can atone for their sins in their own way and time through their
works. They refuse to accept the
righteousness offered by God as a free gift through faith in Jesus’ atoning
death on the cross. Every year
around the time the world calls Easter, the media carry stories of Roman
Catholics in predominantly Catholic countries who have themselves affixed to
crosses for several hours on what the Church calls Good Friday (Jesus was
actually crucified on Thursday, as will be explained in the chapter titled
Conclusion). They inform television
interviewers they want to “imitate” Christ’s suffering.
Most are secured with tape or rope.
However, some use nails. San
Fernando, in the Philippines, is renowned for such crucifixions where a
volunteer (sometimes more than one) is nailed to a cross for several hours to
“reenact” the crucifixion. 1
One man has been quoted as saying he doesn’t want Jesus to pay his
debt. He wants to pay his own.
Many believe incorrectly that the stigmata, the marks and bleeding on a
person’s body resembling the wounds of Jesus in the crucifixion, date back to
the time of the early Christians. However,
this is not true. St. Francis of
Assisi (1182-1226) displayed the first known case. 2
St. Francis wanted to go farther than those in San Fernando, however.
His heart’s desire was to be martyred, “like Jesus,” and, in fact,
he rejoiced upon hearing that five Franciscan friars had been murdered in
Morocco. 3 However, martyrdom was not his future. Instead, he became the first stigmatic in 1224 just shortly
before his death. Since St. Francis
there have been another 400 or so stigmatics, over 100 in the last century and
the number is increasing. All
claimed they “shared” Jesus’ suffering.
Most have been Catholic, with a few Pentecostals in the latter part of
the 20th century. All
have displayed marks and bleeding from the palms of the hands.
This is indeed curious since the Roman practice of crucifixion involved
driving spikes through the wrists, not the more fragile palms which would have
simply torn away. This common
feature among stigmatics is probably best explained by examining the crucifix
which shows nails driven through the palms.
Given this discrepancy, one must question the source of this sanguine
phenomenon. Is it from the One who
cried out from the cross “It is finished”?
Or is perhaps this escalating imitation of Jesus’ suffering a part of
St. Paul’s warning concerning the approach of end times?
“And
his (the antichrist’s) coming is according to the working of Satan with
all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all wicked
deception to those who are perishing. For
they have not received the love of truth that they might be saved.
Therefore God sends them a misleading influence that they may believe
falsehood, that all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have
preferred wickedness (unrighteousness).” [II Thessalonians 2:9-12]
Can Satan cause a stigmata? Yes,
in those who have rejected the Jesus of the New Testament. Neither Catholics nor Pentecostals teach that Jesus has the
authority to do for them what He clearly did for the robber on the cross: give
eternal life. If one continues
to reject the Scriptural gospel of Jesus Christ, the Truth, preferring
unrighteousness instead, that is, relying on one’s own righteousness rather
than the imputed righteousness of the Christ, then God will send false signs to
bolster his false faith in his false works which will lead to judgment.
Notice how God refers to these in the above citation:
“those who are perishing.” The
judgment referred to is the Great White Throne, the judgment of the damned.
God’s children will not be judged.
Only the children of disobedience will stand before the Great White
Throne.
By encouraging some to have themselves affixed to crosses and others to
“share” in Jesus’ suffering through the stigmata, Satan attempts to show
the world that Jesus’ suffering
was common rather than the unique act of ultimate love for one of His creations.
Moreover, many flock to see these “curiosities” which edify men,
rather than glorify God. Walking
submissively in His will glorifies God [see St. Matthew 5:16].
God tells us in the Old Testament that the sacrifice for sin must be a
lamb without blemish. Jesus was
that Lamb. Thus, the Scriptures
make clear that only the blood of Jesus washes away our sins [see Apocalypse
5:6, and 12]. Therefore, no one can
pay his own sin debt since none is without blemish.
All have sinned and are therefore blemished [Romans 3:23].
In his greetings to the seven churches in the book of Apocalypse, St.
John the revelator includes the following:
“...
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To
him who has loved us (Jesus), and washed us from our sins in his own
blood ....” [Apocalypse 1:5]
Moreover, it was learned in Chapter Four that “without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness (of sins).” [Hebrews 9:22]
So if one turns away from the atoning blood of Jesus, where can he turn
to obtain forgiveness? No where.
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Chapter 22 of St. Matthew records the beautiful parable of the marriage
feast, as told by Jesus:
“...
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage feast for his son.
And he sent his servants to call in those invited to the marriage feast,
but they would not come. Again he
sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have
prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatlings are killed, and everything is ready;
come to the marriage feast.’ But
they made light of it, and went off, one to his farm, and another to his
business; and the rest laid hold of his servants, treated them shamefully, and
killed them. But when the king
heard of it, he was angry; and he sent his armies, destroyed those murderers,
and burnt their city. Then he said
to his servants, ‘The marriage feast indeed is ready, but those who were
invited were not worthy; go therefore to the crossroads, and invite to the
marriage feast whomever you shall find.’
And his servants went out into the roads, and gathered all whom they
found, both good and bad; and the marriage feast was filled with guests.
Now the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man who had
not on a wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how didst thou come in here
without a wedding garment?’ But
he was speechless. Then the king
said to the attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet and cast him forth into the
darkness outside, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of
teeth.’” [St. Matthew 22:2-13]
The king in this parable is, of course, God the Father. The king’s son is God’s Son, Jesus. The guests invited initially were the Jews of the Old
Testament. However, they refused
and kept whoring after other gods [see Osee 9:1].
The second call was made to the Jews of Jesus’ day.
Those who refused the second invitation were too busy tending to their
farms, businesses, and going about
happily in their traditional ways. The
servants who called them to the marriage feast and were ignored and subsequently
murdered were the prophets [see St. Matthew 23:37].
The invited guests’ two rejections angered the king so he burned their
city and destroyed those who murdered his servants.
(This was a future-truth prophecy. The
Romans sacked and burned Jerusalem, along with the Temple, in 70 A.D.)
The king sent his servants a third time but this time into the crossroads
to invite whomever they could find.
Many incorrectly identify those who respond in the affirmative as the
church. But this cannot be correct
since the Scriptures reveal that those who respond in the affirmative are the
bride, not the guests. The bride
consists of Jews and Gentiles saved during the age of grace, the church age, the
current age.
In Eastern custom, two calls are given for festive occasions.
The first is given in advance of the event (the establishment of the
kingdom of heaven). The second is
given at the time of the event. As explained above, these two calls correspond to the call to
Old Testament Jews prior to Jesus’ incarnation and to the Jews of Jesus’
day, respectively. Most refused.
The third call will be to Jews and Gentiles alike during the seven-year
Tribulation period, which is yet future.
The book of Apocalypse tells us there will be 144,000 Jews sealed with
the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation period, twelve thousand from each of the
twelve tribes [see Apocalypse 7:4]. Like
all who accept the Jesus of the New Testament as Lord and Savior, these will be
witnesses for Him, as will the two witnesses spoken of in Apocalypse 11:3.
Many prophecy scholars believe these two witnesses will be Moses and
Elias (spelled Elijah in the KJV). These
144,000 witnesses produce so many converts from every nation, tribe, people, and
tongue that no man can number them [see Apocalypse 7:9].
These Tribulation saints are the ones who respond to the third
invitation. These are not part of
the church general, the bride. They,
along with the Old Testament saints, are the invited guests.
The church age will end with the rapture, prior to the initiation of the
seven-year Tribulation period and the sealing of the 144,000.
Returning to Jesus’ parable, both the good and the bad were brought in
to the feast. The view of those who
were good and bad was from the perspective of the servants, not the king.
It was the custom of Eastern kings to provide proper attire for guests at
formal occasions like marriages. When
the king greeted the guests, he noticed one who was not wearing the garment
provided by his graciousness. Instead,
the man was wearing his own. The
king viewed the man’s failure to wear the garment he provided as an act of
arrogance and pride [see Sophonias 1:8, called Zephaniah in the KJV]. When the king questioned the man about this breach of
sartorial protocol, the man stood speechless.
At that moment, he knew there was no justification for his having turned
down the king’s free offer.
The king’s sole criterion for guests attending the feast was not
whether or not the guests were well dressed (good or sinners).
The king knew none had such finery as he provided (the righteousness of
Jesus). As noted in the parable,
one guest thought his own garment was good enough. He mistakenly believed he had no need of the king’s free
gift! This man was following his
own path. However, he paid the
price for his willful conduct. This
man’s philosophy was “my will be done,” rather than “the king’s will
be done.” Since this man chose to
reject the king’s free offer, the king granted the man’s wish, but this
resulted in him being removed from the marriage feast (the kingdom) and thrown
into the darkness outside (hell)!
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Satan puts into the minds of men even to this day that they have no need
of God’s free offer of His robe of righteousness provided through the atoning
work of His Son on Calvary. Apocalypse
6:11 reveals:
“And
there was given to each of them a white robe.”
Note the words carefully. These
robes were given, not earned. They
were gifts, not wages. Eternal
life is a gift from God received through faith, but sin brings a wage -
death. Death is something we earn!
How were these robes made white? They
were washed white in the blood of the Lamb [see Apocalypse 7:14].
It is heart breaking that so many are so easily fooled by Satan.
Remember, it was Satan’s pride that caused his fall and future eternal
damnation. It was Adam and Eve’s
pride that caused them to eat of the forbidden fruit so they could be like God.
As a result, their spirits died and they could no longer communicate with
their Creator. Another consequence
is that their children and all subsequent generations are born dead spiritually.
And Satan is still deceiving many today - causing them to rely on their
own goodness, their own garments to earn eternal life [see Proverbs
16:25].
In his book, cited earlier, Father Stravinskas provides some insights he
believes Catholics need to be aware of when talking with fundamentalists, what
Father Stravinskas believes to be errors in fundamentalist thinking:
“Regarding
the nature of man: Man is totally
corrupt. Hence there arises the
tendency to limit religion to matters of sin and justification:
repentance, conversion, making a decision for Christ, bewailing one’s
sins, condemning as evil what common experience and Catholic doctrine teach to
be good.
“If
this tenet is correct, then what is one to make of such lines in the Scriptures
as Psalm 8:5-6? ‘What is man that
you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him a little less than the angels, and crowned
him with glory and honor.’ The
inspired Psalmist clearly held this to be true - even after the Fall.” 4
Several of Father Stravinskas’ observations about fundamentalists,
assuming he is referring to bible-believing, New Testament Christians, are
correct. Although we don’t spend
any time talking about religion, something that has never nor could it ever save
anyone (if it could, Jesus would not have had to have gone to the cross), we are
guilty, by the grace of God, of following our Lord’s command to preach His
gospel to every creature [see St. Mark 15:16].
In accordance with Scriptures, we also confess our sins directly to God
[see I St. John 1:9]. Father
Stravinskas refers to this as bewailing, which means “expressing sorrow
for.” To this charge, too, we
plead guilty. As believers, we
understand that it was our sins that nailed Jesus to that cruel cross. With regard to his allegation that we condemn as evil what
common experience ... teaches to be good, the Father does not provide examples
for us to plead our case. Certainly
if New Testament Christians are doing this, we are guilty of sin for to call
what is good evil is condemned in God’s Word, as was discussed in Chapter Two:
“Woe
to you that call evil good, and good evil ....” [Isaias 5:20]
While Father Stravinskas tells us that common experience and Catholic
doctrine teach what is “good,” God’s Word reveals:
“...
all that is not from faith is sin.” [Romans 14:23]
Thus, fundamentalists use faith, that is, the Scripture, rather
than common experience and traditions contained in Catholic or other Church
doctrine, to determine what is good and what is evil.
Our faith tells us that if God’s Word calls something evil, then it
is evil. No experience,
Catholic or other Church doctrine, reasoning, reassessment, or rationalization
can change that [Malachias 3:6].
With regard to the Father’s interpretation of Psalm 8:5-6, that man is
not inherently evil, he chose one verse that, if viewed out of context, indeed
would impart the notion that man has some inherent good in him.
However, as already cautioned against, one must be careful when using a
single verse to prove a point that one does not use that verse selectively or
out of context. However, I believe
the Reverend has done exactly this in the instant case.
Moreover, there are a plethora of other verses that contradict Father
Stravinskas’ thesis that man has any inherent good in him.
Psalm 52 (53):4 states, “All have gone astray; they have become perverse;
there is not one who does good, not even one.” Just in case the message was missed the first hundred or so
times, God again reveals: “as it
is written, ‘There is not one just man; there is none who
understands; there is none who seeks after God.” [Romans 3:10-11]
Again: “All have
gone astray together; they have become worthless.
There is none who does good, not even one.” [Romans 3:12]
The heading over Romans 3:9-18 in the Roman Catholic Bible is:
“The Scriptures Attest Universal Sin.”
And so they do. As a final note on this subject, God’s Word reveals:
“How
much less man, who is but a maggot, the son of man (Jesus), who is only a
worm.” [Job 25:6]
In the above verse, God’s Word refers to man as a “maggot.”
Maggots are the first-stage offspring of flies.
And who is the Lord (Master) of the flies?
Beelzebub! [IV Kings 1:2;
St. Matthew 10:25; St. Mark 3:22; and St. Luke 11:15].
What is being revealed here is that all men are born of their father:
Satan. Thus, how could there
be any inherent good in a man? The
“son of man,” in the above verse, refers to Jesus as a worm.
Thus, in this single verse, God has described the nature and future of
all flesh without the soul-saving power of the Jesus of the New Testament in
their lives.
In Jesus’ day, red die was made from blood obtained by mashing a
certain kind of worm. It is in this
sense that the flesh of the “son of man” is a worm.
Jesus shed His blood for all sinners.
In Psalm 21 (22), the great revelation that prefigures Jesus’
crucifixion, verse 6 confirms: “But
I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by the people.”
Contrary to Father Stravinskas’ hypothesis, what David is saying in
Psalm 8 is not that man is in any way deserving of God’s care, but that God is
so majestic in His love and mercy that He is even mindful of undeserving man!
David, as one of God’s creations, is praising his Creator, not
justifying or edifying himself. In
fact, Psalm 8 is considered by bible scholars to be one of the greatest recorded
expressions of man’s praise for his Creator.
God’s truth reveals that men’s garments are “filthy rags.” No, my friend, you may be the most sartorially dazzling one
in your church not just on Resurrection Sunday but every Lord’s day, but God
sees that you are either wearing the imputed righteousness of Jesus and the
whiteness of His robes or your own filthy rags, resplendent though they may
appear to the world. Wearing your
own garment is folly [see Proverbs 15:21].
If you are not clothed in His righteousness, then you stand naked indeed
and you will be thrown into the darkness of hell.
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Most people do not begin to understand what Jesus bore for sinners.
When one looks at a crucifix, it is no wonder God’s Word forbids graven
images of any representation of God. Jesus
never has been portrayed accurately on the crucifix, nor can the price He
paid for all mankind, saved and unsaved, ever be comprehended by the limited
mind of man. While the crucifix
presents a man with a strong jaw and facial features, Isaias 52:14 (NKJV)
reveals: “... His visage (face)
was marred more than any man.” Moreover,
David declared in a future-truth prophecy recorded in Psalms 22:14 (NKJV):
“And all My bones are out of joint.”
Neither of these features is revealed in the crucifix.
Moreover, while the Scriptures do not address this point, most students
of that period of Roman history believe that those crucified were naked on the
cross as a final humiliation. The
man on the crucifix is modestly clothed.
After Jesus was delivered into Pilate’s hands, the soldiers scourged
Him. The Scriptures do not tell us
how many stripes Jesus received at the hands of sinners [Isaias 53:5].
Under Jewish law, no more than forty stripes could be given [Deuteronomy
25:2-3]. That’s why St. Paul
tells us in II Corinthians 11:24, “From the Jews five times I received forty
lashes less one.” It is
reasonable to assume that Roman law carried out by battle-hardened Roman
soldiers had no such concern. Moreover,
the scourge used by the soldiers was a cat-o-nine-tails.
Nine leather thongs, each about eighteen inches long, were attached to a
wooden handle. At the end of each
thong was attached a piece of metal or bone designed to tare away flesh.
Thus, the scourging turned Jesus’ back into something resembling
bloody, raw meat.
The soldiers made a “crown” for Him following the scourging.
However, Jesus’ crown was made of thorns, possibly from the sharp
prongs of the date palm, the same kind of plant that produced the palm branches
the people waved before Him upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The soldiers used rods to position it upon His head.
The length of the rods provided a safe distance from which the two-inch
thorns could be beaten down into His scalp until stopped by the bones of His
skull. As the blood from His scalp
clotted around the piercing thorns, it helped anchor the crown in place.
They put a cloak of royal color on Him and placed a reed in His hand for
a scepter [see Genesis 49:8-10].
The soldiers blindfolded Him and took turns slapping His face and
spitting on Him and mockingly asking Him to prophesy whom it was that had struck
the “King of the Jews.” While
the soldiers were engaged in this torment, the blood and raw flesh on Jesus’
back were beginning to clot and stick to the cloak.
The soldiers also pulled out Jesus’ beard.
Most adult male Jews had long beards.
A well-groomed beard was a mark of pride in one’s heritage.
To shave or pull out any part would bring disgrace.
His face was now raw, swollen, and bleeding.
Prior to leading Him away to Golgotha, they removed the cloak and dressed
Jesus in His own clothes. Removing
the cloak tore additional flesh from His back and restarted the bleeding.
Dressing Him in His own clothes reinitiated the clotting process.
When He was stripped again to be nailed to the cross, more raw flesh was
ripped from His back and bleeding was reinitiated [see Isaias 50:6; St. John 19;
St. Matthew 27:31; and St. Luke 22:64].
“And
when they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, and the
robbers, one on his right hand and the other on his left.” [St. Luke 23:33]
The words, “they crucified him there,” do not begin to tell of the
excruciating agony associated with being crucified.
Dr. C. Truman Davis, an M.D., provides the following description of a
crucifixion from a physiological perspective:
“The
cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards
with his shoulders against the wood. The
legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist.
He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep
into the wood. Quickly he moves to
the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too
tightly, but to allow some flex and movement.
The cross is then lifted into place.
“The
left foot is pushed backward against the right foot, and with both feet
extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the
knees flexed. The victim is now
crucified. As he slowly sags down
with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots
along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain - the nails in the
wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.
As he pushes himself upward to avoid his stretching torment, he places
the full weight on the nail through his feet.
Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves
between the bones of the feet.
“As
the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep,
relentless, throbbing pain. With
these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe.
Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled.
He fights to raise in order to get even one small breath.
Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream,
and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically
he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
“Hours
of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent
partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as
he moves up and down against the rough timber.
Then another agony begins: a
deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum
and begins to compress the heart.
“It
is now almost over - the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level -
the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the
tissues - the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps
of air. He can feel the chill of
death creeping through his tissues .... Finally,
he can allow his body to die. [We know that the Lord Jesus Christ dismissed His
spirit from His body; He was in complete control even of the time of His death.]
5
It was standard practice to give those nailed to the cross a drug to dull
their pain and senses and speed up death. Jesus
was offered “wine mixed with gall” but refused it [see St. Matthew 27:34].
He, rather than a drug, would choose the exact moment His Spirit would be
dismissed.
Surrounding the foot of the cross were Roman soldiers.
They continued to mock Him and cast lots for His garments even after they
had nailed His limp and bloody body to a rugged, splintered cross that cut into
His already raw back with every strained, agonizing breath.
Stretched out naked on the cross, Jesus could barely identify the local
citizens and their rulers sneering and wagging their tongues at Him as He made
out their blurred forms from behind rivulets of blood meandering down His face.
From below His nail-pierced feet they looked up at His bleeding body
hanging helplessly on the cross. “He
saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the chosen one of
God,” they called in marked disdain. Yet
others remarked, “If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself.”
[St. Luke 23:35-37] The two
robbers also began to revile Him [St. Matthew 27:44].
The zealots were watching, too, from a distance.
Barabbas was in their company, keeping the caldron of Jewish discontent
boiling. They likely remarked among
themselves, “If this man is the Messiah, the Christ, surely he
will call upon the God of Israel to send legions of angels to smite these Roman
dogs and free himself and us.”
Amid the hatred, the horror, and the expectations, Jesus finally
responded. He did not hurl
obscenities or rain down curses on His tormentors.
Neither did He call upon legions of angels.
Rather, He took compassion on them all.
Jesus lifted His disfigured, bloody face toward the heavens and asked:
“...
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” [St. Luke
23:34]
Not all had ears to hear:
“Now
one of those robbers who were hanged was abusing him, saying, ‘If thou art the
Christ, save thyself and us!’” [St.
Luke 23:39]
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Among many within earshot, one heard Jesus’ prayer:
“But
the other (robber) in answer rebuked him (the abusing robber) and
said, ‘Dost not even thou fear God, seeing that thou art under the same
sentence? And we indeed justly, for
we are receiving what our deeds deserved; but this man has done nothing
wrong.’ And he said to Jesus,
‘Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’” [St. Luke 23:40-42]
The second robber gives us a perfect example of how a trusting belief in
the true Christ results in a changed life.
The robber obviously had little life left, since he was dying on that
cross. However, after hearing
Jesus’ words, “he made a decision for Christ,” to use Father Stravinskas’
words. That decision changed not
only his life, but also his eternal destiny.
Thus, we must conclude that the robber was a fundamentalist.
He stopped reviling Jesus as a condemned criminal like himself and
recognized Him as Lord. At that
moment, the Holy Spirit of God entered into the robber and sealed him for
redemption. Jesus’ words confirm
this:
“...
Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
[St. Luke 23:43]
The words this repentant robber spoke magnify the Lord even to this day!
Note that Jesus did not place any conditions on his salvation.
He did not tell him, for example, that, “if only you could be baptized,
or join a certain Church, or receive certain sacraments, then you could be with
Me this day in paradise.” Neither
was Jesus expecting the robber to do any good works to earn his way or
any part of his way into paradise. Neither
did Jesus reveal that the robber would be allowed into Paradise based on the
notion that the robber’s family would complete those good works the robber
left undone in this life, as Orthodoxy teaches.
We know the robber only did one “good” thing in his life: he
recognized Jesus as Lord. One day,
all believers will have the privilege of meeting this sinner turned saint who
still speaks to us today through the recorded Word of God!
The gospel was presented in its simplest form at Golgotha.
A child of disobedience heard the Word of God, changed his attitude
toward the person of Jesus, confessed Him with his mouth (“Lord remember me
....”), and received the promise of salvation (“... this day thou shalt be
with me in paradise.”). Although
the robber didn’t have much time to allow the Holy Spirit to work in his life,
many of us do. Does your church
allow Jesus to exercise His power to save and preserve or has it, like many
Churches, robbed Him of the power He exercised on the cross to save a sinner?
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While Jesus’ bodily suffering both before (three hours) and on the
cross (six hours) was excruciating, it was not His physical suffering alone that
paid the sin debt of the world! The
wages of sin is death, that is, eternal separation from God.
This death, of course, includes death of the body.
Moreover, the death of the body must be experienced by blood loss for
without the shedding of blood there is no atonement for sin [see Hebrews 9:22].
In some manner which the human mind in its fallen state cannot fathom,
Jesus was, for the first time in eternity, separated from God the Father as He
was dying on that old rugged cross. Jesus
cried out: “My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken (left) me?” This
was not a cry of despair, but of victory. It was at that wonderful moment that the sin debt of all the
world, for all people, for all sins, for all time was paid in full.
His words were prophesied in the 22nd Psalm:
“My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my
cry?” [Psalms 21 (22):1-2]
While we cannot fully comprehend or fully appreciate what wondrous thing
happened at the cross, we can fully believe.
When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” Satan thought he had won the
battle. However, angels in heaven
were singing and the hosts were celebrating in the presence of God the Father.
The Father’s will had been carried out by the Son even to delivering
His soul unto death [see Isaias 53:10-12].
Romans 8:28 teaches:
“And
we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose.”
There are many who doubt the literal interpretation of this verse.
While Satan thought he had won the victory, God was working even Jesus’
death for good for those who love God and would accept His plan for their
salvation. Jesus’ death on the
cross is the greatest fulfillment and proof of the veracity of Romans 8:28.
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At the moment of Jesus’ death, the curtain (also called the veil)
separating the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holy of Holies within, was torn
top to bottom [see St. Matthew 27:51]. The
Holy of Holies was the innermost sanctuary where only once a year, on the Day of
Atonement, only the high priest could enter to make an offering for the sins of
Israel [see Leviticus 16:2-3]. The
high priest would slay the designated animals in the designated manner, enter
the Holy of Holies with their blood, and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat, which
was the covering on the Arc of the Covenant [see Leviticus 16].
It was precisely because God dwelled within the Arc that only the high
priest could approach and then only once a year.
Moreover, before the high priest went in, a golden rope was tied around
his waist because if God found him to be unworthy, He struck him dead and no man
could enter to remove the body - wherefore, the golden rope.
With Jesus’ death on the cross, the curtain, that barrier that had
existed between sinful man and a Holy God from the time of the Exodus, was torn.
The significance of its being torn top to bottom is that no man could
have torn it top to bottom because of the height.
Man could only have torn it bottom to top.
Thus, we are to see God’s hand at work in this tearing of the veil.
Prior to this, the only way to approach God was through blood sacrifice,
the high priest, and the veil. Now,
however, our only way to God is through Jesus:
“... I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father but through me.” [see St. John 14:6]
Jesus has become our sacrificial Lamb and High Priest forever,
“reaching even behind the veil” [see Hebrews 6:19-20].
Every believer can approach the Father based on Jesus’ atoning death.
However, if one rejects His finished work on the cross as paying his sin
debt in full, then he rejects the Jesus of the New Testament, as many cults and
Churches do. Then he cannot come to
the Father. He may think he can.
His Church may insist he can based on tradition.
But he cannot. When a
believer prays (asks for something), he prays to the Father and ends his prayer
“in Jesus’ name.” If one does
not accept the Jesus of the New Testament, then one cannot pray in His name and
if one does not pray in His name (Jesus), then the Father does not hear [see St.
John 15:16]. The veil was not torn
just to be replaced by a substitute sacrificial system, a new order of high
priests, or a new holy of holies known as some particular denomination or
Church!
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Believers are often labeled intolerant, narrow-minded, divisive, and even
hateful because of their insistence that Jesus is the only way - no other god,
no Church, or church, no denomination. In
fact, the early Christians were not persecuted for worshiping Jesus.
They were sent into the arena because they worshiped only Jesus.
They refused to offer incense once a year to the god Caesar, as required
by Roman Law. What is not understood by the world, what cannot be understood by
the world is that no believer ever approaches a nonbeliever out of hate to share
with him or her the good news of Jesus Christ - that he or she can have eternal
life through Jesus. Anyone who
hates another is probably not a believer in the first place and certainly would
not be witnessing to others [see St. Luke 11:4].
Only those in submission to the Lord’s command bear Him witness.
Jesus said:
“If
the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you.
If you were of the world, the world would love what is its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” [St. John 15:18]
Know this. The world loves images
and icons of a dependent baby confined to its mother’s arms, an infant
lying in a manger, and a helpless man hanging on a cross. Most even celebrate to some extent the time of year
mistakenly thought to be His birthday. They
greet one another not with “Merry Christmas,” but with “Happy Holidays.”
Many do not realize He’s the reason for the season!
Others mistakenly associate the word Mass with Christmas and erroneously
explain that that’s what Christmas means - “Christ’s Mass.”
However, the world hates the Jesus of the New Testament. They reject the Son of God who said, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father but through me.” We
hear His name profaned and blasphemed everywhere.
It’s impossible to watch a situation comedy on television anymore
without hearing blasphemy, in addition to profanity, and the ever-increasing
vulgarity. One of the many aspects
believers enjoy about church services is hearing the name of Jesus lifted up,
praised, and glorified in hymns and sermons.
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I recently heard of a lady who entered a jewelry store and told the
salesman she wanted to buy a cross. He
asked, “Do you want a plain one or one with the little man on it?”
Perhaps this is why God tells us over and over again in His Word not to
make images or bow down to images made by others. This is what image making and image worship (worship means
simply to get on one’s face before, to bow down to, to genuflect in front of,
to erect an altar to, to place votive candles on the altar of, etc.) has led to
- the Creator of the universe; the Second Person of the Trinity and
only-begotten Son of God; the One who left His glory in heaven for our sakes;
the One who formed us with His hands in our mothers’ wombs; the author and
finisher of our faith; our sacrificial Lamb without blemish; our Lord and
kinsman Redeemer; the One who defeated hell, Satan, and all his demonic forces
at Calvary; the One who won victory over death and the grave; the One who refers
to Himself no less than four times in the book of the Apocalypse as the Alpha
and the Omega; and the King of kings and Lord of lords succinctly summed up as
the “little man” on the cross.
Some say they like the crucifix because it reminds them of what Jesus did
for them. However, the same people
who make this claim often believe that Jesus did not do all that was required.
They deny Jesus’ words, “It is consummated (finished),” and
make Him a liar. [St. John 19:30]
They do not believe their debt has been marked “paid in full” through
His atoning death on the cross. Some
believe where Jesus’ suffering was lacking, they can make up for His shortfall
through their good works, suffering, and the treasury of grace of the saints in
heaven. Others believe the
“good” works of their families when added to Jesus’ death will allow them
entrance into the kingdom.
One day each of us will be judged not by the Jesus taught by his Church,
but by the Jesus of the New Testament. Jesus
will judge the works of believers. He
will determine whether the believer walked in the good works prepared for him by
God before the time of his salvation [Ephesians 2:10] or in his own works which,
by definition, cannot be good [Isaias 64:6]. Crowns will be awarded to lay at the feet of Jesus for those
who walked in the good works He prepared [I Corinthians 3:10-14].
These good works are referred to as “gold, silver, and precious
stones.” A man’s works, on the
other hand, are referred to as “wood, hay, and straw.”
The believer will not receive an award (crown) for walking in his own
works. However, he will be saved [I
Corinthians 3:15]. Moreover, a
believer can lose his reward, his crown, if he quits the Christian walk (but not
his salvation). That’s why Jesus
tells believers to “... Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your
crown.” [Apocalypse 3:11]
Nonbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne.
This is the judgment of the damned [Apocalypse 20:11-15].
It occurs at the end of the millennial kingdom, just prior to the
beginning of eternity. I would hate to be one of those planning to say to Jesus,
“Thank you for what you did. But
where your sacrifice fell short, I made up the deficit with my ‘good
works.’” Like the guest wearing
his own garment at the marriage feast, such an individual will stand speechless
before the Judge-King [see St. John 5:22].
He will immediately realize that he has transgressed God’s plan
for his salvation. God help those
who place their trust in anything other than, or in addition to, or less then
the grace of God provided through Jesus’ atoning death at Calvary!
If some other form of salvation were possible, then surely God the Father
would not have put His only-begotten Son through such agonizing torments.
Whose garment will you wear on Judgment Day?
The one provided by the King of kings?
Or your own?
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